Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must step down, his predecessor Naftali Bennett said in a televised interview, though he declined to confirm whether he plans to challenge the country’s longest-serving leader in a future election.
Speaking to Israel’s Channel 12 on Saturday, former Prime Minister Bennett said, “Netanyahu has been in power for 20 years… that’s too much, it’s not healthy.”
Bennett accused Netanyahu of bearing “heavy responsibility for the divisions in Israeli society,” as tensions continue to rise under his leadership. Netanyahu, who retains a loyal base, has faced mounting criticism over his handling of the Gaza war that began in October 2023.
“Netanyahu must go,” said Bennett, a right-wing figure who in 2021 joined with opposition leaders to form a coalition that ousted Netanyahu after 12 straight years in office. That alliance, led alongside current opposition head Yair Lapid, was short-lived, collapsing after about a year. Netanyahu later returned to power with support from far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties.
Though currently out of politics, Bennett is widely believed to be considering a return, with recent polls suggesting he could once again mount a successful challenge to Netanyahu’s leadership.
While no election is scheduled before late 2026, early elections are frequent in Israel’s political landscape.
In the same interview, Bennett also claimed credit for laying the groundwork for Israel’s recent strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets. He described the operation as “very good” and “necessary,” insisting it wouldn’t have been possible without efforts by his former government.
Addressing the ongoing war in Gaza, Bennett praised the military’s “exceptional” performance but slammed the government’s political leadership, calling it “a catastrophe, a disaster.”
He criticised Netanyahu’s “inability to decide” and urged a swift, “comprehensive” agreement to secure the release of all hostages still held in Gaza.
“Leave the mission of eliminating Hamas to a future government,” said Bennett, who repeatedly avoided confirming whether he plans to run for office again.
